Unseasonably cool weather chills crowd at Seafood Festival

Monday

Mar 4, 2013 at 12:36 AM

ANTHONY DeMATTEO

While wind chill and cold March temperatures thinned crowds and reddened cheeks at this year's Lions Seafood Festival, staffers and crowd goers said every penny the annual event took in this weekend will do a lot for those in need.

The St. Augustine Lions Club, which runs and benefits from the charitable event, provides scholarships and funds eye surgeries, eye care, eyeglasses and more for local families.

"The Lions Club is a wonderful charity," said event staffer Toni Covato, who worked all three days of the festival that ended Sunday. "Every single penny goes to charity. We don't have administrative costs; we have dues."

Fellow Lions staffer Art Moore and a number of vendors said Friday drew the most people to Francis Field, and Sunday's crowd was the thinnest as temperatures hovered in the mid-40s.

Moore said late Sunday afternoon that while it was too early for an overall attendance number, fewer people attended the festival than last year.

Brenda Flynn, who owns and is head artist for Free-Range Art in Palm Coast, said her first Seafood Festival was well-run but less lucrative than she hoped.

"Friday was great," she said, hiding between floppy plastic barriers from a stiff afternoon wind. "Then it really slowed down. But as far as how well run the festival is and how great the people have been, I can't say enough good things. You can't control the weather."

At its regular spot just outside the entrance was the group from Saving Animals From Euthanasia.

SAFE volunteer Kathy Kelshaw bundled long-haired Chihuahua, Miss Sonic, in her arms, shielding all but the little dog's nose from the wind.

By about 3 p.m. Sunday, SAFE saw 10 dogs and two cats adopted.

Best friends and sibling Sheppard puppies Franklin and Theodore hadn't found a home as the festival neared its end, but Kelshaw said they were too cute not be grabbed up by someone soon.

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